1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packing materials, and more particularly, to a compressor packing member of an improved structure which can pack compressors in many tiers.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, for mass transportation of products, such as compressors, a plurality of products are stacked to form a packed body, which is carried with equipment such as a fork-lift. For this, the plurality of products are stacked on a pallet in many tiers for easy carry with the fork-lift, or the like, with a pad provided between adjacent tiers.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate examples of the pallets and the pads respectively, referring to which the pallets and the pads will be described, in more detail. Before starting description of the pallet, and the pad, an outside structure of the compressor will be described, briefly.
Referring to FIG. 1, the compressor 10 is provided with an upper case 11 and a lower case 12 assembled together, to form an enclosed space having various parts of the compressor 10 arranged therein.
The lower case 12 has a mounting plate 13 in a lower part thereof, having at least one hole 14 for passing a fastening member, such as a bolt (not shown). Therefore, the compressor 10 can be fastened to a place intended to mount by using the fastening member and the mounting plate 13.
In the meantime, the lower case 12 has nipples 15 projected outward therefrom for connection of pipes (not shown) for flow of a working fluid, such as refrigerant. Accordingly, the working fluid flowing in the pipes is introduced into the compressor 10 through one of the nipples 15, compressed in the compressor 10, and discharged out of the compressor.
The plurality of the compressors 10 are stacked on the pallet 10 aligned with each other, wherein the pallet 10 will be described.
The pallet 10 is in a lowest part of the packed body, and supports the compressors 10 stacked at the first time. The pallet 10 is provided with panels 21 and blocks 22 of wood.
Referring to FIG. 1, the panel 21 is long, and a plurality of the panels 21 are put together into a form of a grating. The grating form of assemblies of the panels 21 are arranged in up and down direction, and the blocks 22 are fixed between the assemblies.
This structure enables the forklift to carry the pallet 10 having the compressor 10 stacked thereon as the fork can be inserted between the assemblies, easily.
In the meantime, there are a plurality of pins 23 on an upper surface of an upper assembly. Therefore, when the pins 23 are inserted in the holes 14 in the mounting plate 13, the compressor 10 can be loaded on the pallet, securely.
Referring to FIG. 2, a pad 30 is placed on the compressors 10 on the pallet 10, and a plurality of compressors 10 are placed on the pad 30 again, wherein the pad 30 will be described in more detail.
The pad 30 is rectangular substantially when seen from above. The pad 30 has a plurality of loading lots 31 each for placing one compressor therein. The loading lot 31 is a hollow in an upper surface of the pad 30, a plurality of which are formed in rows and columns in the pad 30.
The loading lot 31 has supporting surfaces 34 for supporting the mounting plate 13 of the compressor 10, projected to a height from a bottom surface of the loading lot 31. Since the supporting surface 34 has the pin 35 projected therefrom, once the pin 35 is inserted in the hole 14 of the mounting plate 13, the compressor 10 can be loaded in the loading lot.
The loading lot 31 has dome 32 for preventing a top of an underlying compressor 10 from coming into contact with the pad 30. The dome 32 has a projection 33 from a central part thereof for preventing a part possibly provided to top of the compressor 10 from coming into contact with the dome 32.
It is preferable that the top of the dome 32 is lower than the supporting surface 34, for preventing the top of the dome 32 from coming into contact with an underside of an overlying compressor 10 loaded in the loading lot 31.
In the meantime, there are a first partition wall 36 and a second partitions walls 37a, and 37b between the rows and columns of loading lots 31 on the pad 30 for compartmentalization of the loading lots 31. The first partition wall 36 is formed such that the loading lots 31 form columns, and the second partition walls are arranged such that the second partition walls 37a and 37b form rows.
The compressors 10 are loaded in the loading lots 31 of the pad 30, respectively. And, the pad 30 and the compressors 10 are stacked again in succession on the compressor 10 loaded on the pad 10. Lastly, the pad 30 or the Styrofoam or the like is placed on top of the compressor 10 loaded on an uppermost tier.
The stack of pallet 10, the compressors 10, and the pads 30 become one unitized packed body as the stack of pallet 10, the compressors 10, and the pads 30 are bound, or packed altogether. Since the packed body can be carried with transportation equipment, such as a forklift easily, mass transportation of the compressors 10 is possible.
However, the foregoing related art pallet and pad have the following problems.
First, in the pallet, the pins are formed separate from the panel, and attached thereto. Therefore, it is liable that the pin can be detached by an external force easily, to cause the compressor to hit adjacent compressor, to damage the compressor during transportation.
Second, referring to FIG. 3, the central part of the lower case of the compressor is projected downward lower than a bottom of the mounting plate. Therefore, when the compressor is placed on the pallet, the central part of the lower case comes to a space with no the panels. Due to this, load of the compressor is concentrated on the space with no panels, applying a bending moment on the mounting plate. Consequently, the pin is liable to damage by the bending moment.
Third, the pallet, formed of wood, is liable to damage, or rotten as time goes by, resulting in recycling of pallet impossible.
Fourth, once the compressors are loaded in the loading lots, opposite sides of the pad droop downward centered on the first partition wall and the second partition walls (see arrows in FIG. 2), when edges of the pad move down more than a central part.
The drooping of the pads thus impedes binding of the stack of multiple tiers of compressors after stacking the compressors by using the pallet and the pads, or stacking of the packed bodies in many tiers for storage. Because the drooping of the pad leads middle part of the packed body higher than edge part of the packed body, if the packed bodies are stacked in many tiers, it is liable that an upper packed body slips down.